Slicing machine



Q 1941. A. HQAHRNDT 2,242,935

SLICING MACHINE Filed July 28, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet l I 91 B6 70 90 3a 75 40 56 4 1 J0 J05 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS y 1941' A. H. AHRNDT 2,242,935

SLIQING MACHINE Filed Jill 2a, 1938 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

BY: @X i v ATTORNEY5,

Patented May 20, 1941 UNITED STATES T OFFICE.

SLICING MACHINE.

Arthur H. Ahrndt, La Porte, Ind., assignor to U. S.

Slicing Machine Company, La Porte, Ind, a corporation of Indiana 512 Claims.

The present invention relates to a slicing machine and more particularly to a device for receiving slices produced thereby.

The present application is a continuation in part of my co-pending application, Serial No. 19,649, filed May 3, 1935, which became Patent No. 2,166,612 on August 8, 1939. The parent application discloses and claims the slicing machine including substance advancing means, substance supporting means and the like. The present application is directed more particularly to means for receiving the slices and arranging them as they are received and preparatory to wrapping or final disposition.

It is important in a slicing machine structure to insure against injury to the operator at all times. Various means have been proposed in the past for preventing injury to the operator in the advancing and slicing of the substance. It is equally essential to provide adequate safeguards in receiving, removing and conveying the cut slices away from the region of the blade.

The present invention more particularly contemplates the provision of a slice receiving structure adapted to receive slices of substance severed by the knife and for conveying the cut substance to a position remote from the cutting knife blade for facilitating quick and easy removal of the slices.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a, slice receiver which is particularly adaptable to use in the slicing of bread or the like, the said receiver being provided with means for bodily moving a slice or mass of slices away from the blade at predetermined times.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a structure, as above, comprising a tray having an upstanding flange arranged normally between the blade and the sliced substance and movable to engage the last slice of sub-stance so as to move the slices in the aforesaid manner.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a slice receiving tray which is slidably mounted and movable to a position directly adjacent the knife to receive slices thereon and to a predetermined remote position so that the operator may remove any number of slices at a point remote from the blade.

Numerous other objects and advantages will more fully appear during the course and progress of the following specification.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved slicing machine embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the slice receiving trough and associated structure.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bracket assembly which mounts the slice receiving trough.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on the line 44 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 5--5 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 66 in Fig, 5.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 'l'! in Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a view substantially the same as Fig. but showing the slice receiving trough in shifted position.

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view on the line 9-9 in Fig. '7.

The particular slicing machine herein shown for the purpose of illustrating the present invention, comprises a base or bottom support 19 upon which is arranged a housing l2 containing the slicing knife. On the righthand side of the machine, as viewed in Fig, 1, there is shown a substance feeding and advancing mechanism I4 comprising a feed trough It. The thickness of the slices severed is adjustable by means of the hand Wheel 18. Thus far the parts mentioned form per se no part of the invention claimed herein and no further description will be given thereof. For a complete and detailed specification of this structure, reference is made to the aforesaid Patent No. 2,168,612.

In accordance with the present invention, the housing l2, which contains the cutting assembly, is provided with a discharge aperture 20 of generally rectangular configuration and defined at either side by the walls 22 and 24 integral with the housing l2 and extending generally axially thereof. It will be understood that the aperture 2|] will be of proper size and shape to permit free and ready passage of any of the slices resulting from the action of the machine. In operative juxtaposition to the discharge aperture 20 is mounted a slice receiving assembly comprising a trough or tray 26 mounted upon a supporting bracket assembly indicated generally by the numeral =28 and cooperating with a safety gate or shield 30.

The supporting bracket assembly 28 comprises a U-shaped attachment bracket 32 having three parallel, cylindrical bars 34, 35 and 36 extending from the edge thereof, as shown clearly in Fig. 3. These bars are rigidly secured to the bracket 32 by nuts 38 and at their other end are rigidly secured by means, not shown, to the L-shaped bag positioning bracket 40.

The entire bracket assembly 23 is releasably secured to the knife housing through the agency of a pair of oppositely directed pins 42 and i mounted upon the axially projecting wall portions 22 and 24 of the housing, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. More particularly, the pin 42 is fastened to the wall portion 22 by means of the nut it. The other pin it is threadedly secured in the wall section 2 3 of the housing and locked in place by the nut 48.

The spaced, upwar ly extending arms of the U-shaped bracket 32 are apertured at 59 and 52, respectively, for engagement with the pins 42 and M. Attention is directed to the fact that the aperture 50 is a circular aperture adapted to engage axially over the pin 42, one side of the aperture and the end of the pin being chamfered, as shown in Fig. 4, to facilitate entry and removal. The other aperture or recess 52 in the opposite upstanding leg of the bracket 32 extends to one margin of the said leg to provide a hookshaped enclosure. It will be obvious from this disclosure, therefore, that the entire bracket assembly is pivotal about the co-axial pins 42 and I as and at the same time may be freely disen The slice receiving trough 26 comprises a sheet tray of L-shaped configuration, Figs. 2, 4, and 7, comprising a bottom wall 5 and a'relatively upstanding wall 5%. tray terminates at its forward edge in the angle bracket 58 having its lower flange secured to the trough as at (it so that its other flange projects substantially vertically upwardly. The lower wall 5 5 of the pan is, moreover, provided with an elongated perforation 62 for accommodating a sliceabutment at. The slice abutment; while being specifically difierent, is broadly similar to that shown in Patent No. 2,035,259, in the name of Morris Brustowsky, and assigned to the pres ent assignee.

As shown more clearly in Fig. 6, the slice abut- '1 ment 66 comprises a supporting arm 85 which is pivotally mounted, as at 56 on a bracket or carriage. $8. The carriage'is slidably mounted on a pair of spaced, parallel bars 70 which are rigidly and fixedly secured in spaced relationship to the bottom of the trough or pan through More speguide bars 10.

The carriage is, moreover, recessed centrally to accommodate the slice abutment supporting arm 65 and this member is retained normally in genorally upright position through the agency of a l leaf spring i i secured to the carriage by means of a. machine screw E5. In other words, the leaf 1 spring M bears against the relatively flat end of the arm 65; as shown in Fig. 6, to resiliently support the slice abutment. Under a predetermined force tending to move the abutment to the left, however, it will be apparent that the action of The bottom wall 54 of the 7 Attention is further directed to the fact that the forward end of the upstanding side wall of the tray or pan 26 has an elevated extension at supporting an inwardly projecting pin 82 for a purpose which will hereinafter be described more in detail.

The trough is mounted for limited slidable movement upon the supporting bracket assembly through the agency of guide brackets 84 and 85. The bracket 84 in the embodiment shown cornprises an integral member bolted to the lower wall of the trough or tray as at 68 and having a pair of spaced, downwardly projecting lug portions 90 and 91 having co-axial cylindrical bores slidably engaging the guide bar 36. The rearward guide bracket 86 comprises a member of generally channel-shaped section having one of its side legs bolted to the bottom wall '55 of the tray through the agency of machine bolts 92.

Guide rollers 94 are rotatably journalled upon a pivot stud 96 in spaced relation to the bottom flange of the bracket 85. Thus, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, the rollers 9d and the bottom part of the flange tend. to oppositely engage the supporting or guide bar 35. Attention is particularly directed to the fact, however, that the weight of the trough and the load supported thereby is transmitted to the bar 35 through the rollers 94 which may be arranged for anti-friction rotation to facilitate movement of the trough upon its supporting bars.

A portion of the side wall 55 adjacent the wall 5 is struck out to provide a flange 91 concealing the upper portion of the bracket 86. The resulting aperture in the wall 56 facilitates cleaning of the pan.

In view of the structure just described, it will be obvious that the trough assembly is slidable longitudinallyof the bars 35 and 35, a coil spring 88 being interposed between the lug so and the L-shaped bracket to to absorb impact at one limit of movement.

Movement of the tray in the opposite direction is limited by means of a stop lug Hli) mounted on the. bar 36 and adapted to be rigidly secured thereto in any desired position by'means of a set screw I0 I, Fig. 4. It will be obvious from the disclosure that it is of great importance to accuratethe spring 14 will be overcome to permit the stantially in the plane of the bottom wall of the pan, this latter wall 54 is displaced bodily downwardly as at 78, Figs. 2 and 7, the reclining position of the abutment being more specifically indicated in dotted lines in the last named figure.

ly control the position of the tray at this limit of travel in view of its necessary proximity to the cutting knife and to this end the present invention provides for positioning the stop lug l {iii with great accuracy.

More specifically, the positioning means comprises a pin I62 threadedly engaged within the U-shaped bracket 32 and arranged in spaced, parallel relationship with the bar 36. The pin it! thus serves to accurately space the stop lug list from the bracket. In other words, after the pin E52 has been axially adjusted with respect to the bracket, it is locked in adjusted position by tightening the jam nut led whereupon the lug it is brought up against the head of the pin and locked in place through the agency of the aforeof the handle and is normally urged in a counterclockwise position, as viewed in Fig. 9, by the coil spring H6. Accordingly, it will be obvious that, when the trough assembly is moved into position adjacent the knife, that is, the position shown in Figs. '7 and 9, the latch will engage over the edge of the stop lug I55.

In order to permit release of the latch I M, the flattened flange I08 of the handle I06 is provided with a pin H8 projecting therefrom on the side adjacent the latch II4. Thus, if the handle is actuated to the left, as viewed in Fig. 9, the handle and, accordingly, the pin. IIS will move in the clockwise direction about the pivot IIZ, the pin in the meanwhile engaging an edge of the latch I I 4 and carrying it out of engagement with the lug or keeper I00. Continuation of the force against the handle I95 will move the entire trough assembly to the left or to the position shown more clearly in Fig. 8. It is important to note that the end of the flanged portion I98 is so formed as to permit only limited rotational movement of the handle about the pivot H2.

The slice receiving mechanism cooperates with the safety screen or gate 39 which, as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 7, comprises a relatively thin sheet member I20 hingedly secured through the agency of a hinge pin 122 to a bracket I24. The bracket I24 is fastened to the knife housing by means of the machine screws I26 which, it should be noted, engage an elongated perforation I28 in the bracket so that the entire safety door assembly may be adjusted with respect to the slice discharging aperture 20.

A piece of spring wire I38 having a U-shaped configuration, as shown in Fig. i, and looped about the hinge pin I22, normally resides in the position shown in Fig. 7. In other words, in this position the spring I39 is substantially free from resilient tension against the parts contacted thereby so that the shield or door I20 hangs downwardly under the influence of its own weight. On the other hand, movement of the door I 2!! in a counter-clockwise direction pivotally from the position shown in the full lines in Fig. '7 will be resiliently resisted by the spring The gate or door I20 is further recessed at I 32 to permit passage of the pin 82 when the door hangs downwardly although, as will appear more in detail hereinafter, the pin 82 will not normally register with the recess I32 if the member I20 is rotationally displaced.

The lower portion of the member I24. is further recessed as at I 34 so that the slice abutment 64 may pass the safety gate or shield while in upright position in order to assume a position adjacent the knife blade. The downwardly projecting portion of the gate I20 adjacent the cutaway section !34 is displaced slightly inwardly as at I36 and, should the member be inadvertently displaced into the region of the knife, will make a point contact with the side of the blade in such a manner as to prevent damage to the mechanism.

The entire slice receiving assembly is, not only pivoted to the knife housing as hereinbefore described, but is provided with means for alimng it angularly with the housing and maintaining it resiliently in adjusted position. To accomplish this purpose, the forward U-shaped bracket 32 is bored and threaded to accommodate a machine screw I38, which machine screw carries a resilient spring finger I IB, Figs. 2 and 8. The screw I38 additionally carries a jam nut I42 which, not

, slices.

only serves to lock the screw in adjusted position, but fixedly secures the spring finger I40 to the bracket.

As is clearly shown in Fig. 8, the head of the screw I38 is adapted to contact a downwardly projecting portion I64 of the knife housing to space the bracket assembly therefrom. It will be obvious that the weight of the slice receiving assembly will tend to maintain the head of the screw I38 in the position shown while the spring finger engages the lower flat surface of the downwardly projecting portion Hi4 for preventing inadvertent displacement.

For the purpose of describing the operation of the foregoing machine, the cutting blade is designated by the numeral I46 while the structure for supporting the substance on the feeding side of the knife is identified by the reference numeral me. To initiate the slicing operation, the slice abutment 64 and its carriage 68 are slid on the guide rods II! to the righthandmost position, as viewed in Fig. 1. Then the handle I06 is actu ated to the right, as viewed in the figures, to slide the tray or slice receiving pan assembly to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 7. In this position the lug SI of the bracket 56 abuts against the stop lug 3051 while the latch II I engages thereabout to retain the parts in adjusted position.

In this position the upwardly extending flange or abutment of the angle bracket 58 will be adjacent the knife in a position determined by the setting of the stop lug I 00. It will be obvious that this abutment or slice retaining wall will clear the knife blade but at the same time be sufficiently close to receive the slices of material severed by the knife. The knife blade I46 is then actuated While the substance I50 which, in the illustration shown, is a loaf of bread, is periodically advanced along the feeding trough surface so that slices are severed therefrom. The actuation of the feeding and severing means is described more in detail in my aforesaid patent No. 2,168,612.

Since the upper edge of the L-shaped flange or abutment 58 is slightly below the surface of the feeding trough Hi8, the cut slices Will have to step over or drop over its upper edge into the slice receiving trough. The slices are maintained generally upright by the slice abutment 64 and, as the slices continue to accumulate thereagainst, they gradually slide the abutment 64 and its carriage in a lefthand direction along the guide rods Iii, the carriage being relatively freely slidable for this purpose. The accumulating slices moving to the left finally contact the door or safety gate I20, carrying it upwardly to the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 7.

When the loaf has been completely sliced, the operator pulls the handle Ififi to the left, releasing the latch IM and moving the slice supporting tray toward the position shown in Fig. 8 or, in other words, toward the position wherein the downwardly projecting guide lug 8h resiliently impinges the stop spring 93. Meanwhile the pin 82 on the upwardly projecting portion 80' of the slice receiving pan engages against the adjacent side of the safety curtain IZII and carries it still further upwardly to clear the top of the stack of In this position the entire stack is relatively remote from the cutting blade and the operator may grasp the stack of slices without any possibility of injury. Thus the slices may be lifted from the tray at this time or they may be placed in a bag or wrapper. If they are to be wrapped, a bag or wrapper is placed over the lefthand end of the trough and the stack of slices moved to the left, as viewed in the figures. When the slice supporting tray is moved all the way to the left, Fig. 8, the pin 32 passes under the cover so that the cover can fall backto its vertical position and guard the knife opening to prevent the operator from reaching under the knife. When the pin. 82 passes under the cover N6, the movement of the trough to the left is so far that the cover I 25 just clears the sliced loaf when the cover flops back to its vertical position.

When the slice abutment 5% reaches the lefthandmost end of travel, it is forced resiliently downwardly about its pivot 86 and into the recess '58 provided in the end of the trough, at which time the slices are within the wrapper and the slices and wrapper may be together withdrawn from the end of the troug i.

The present invention provides a machine for receiving severed slices in stackwise relationship, retaining them in upright position and permitting their positive and bodily removal away from the cutting blade by operation from a remote point. The parts of the structure are all positively adjusted so that they may be actuated rapidly into slice receiving or removing position, either while the slicing and feeding mechanism is at rest, or in operation. The structure is strong and durable While at the same time being light in weight and is removable for modification of the machine or for cleaning.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages, the form herein described being a preferred embodiment for the purpose of illustrat ing the invention.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A slicing machine comprising means for slicing slices from a substance, a slice receiving trough extending from slicing position, a frame on which the trough is slidable, an upstanding longitudinal slidable abutment member mounted on the trough to support slices vertically as they are cut, a second upstanding abutment member rigidly mounted on the trough and positioned to extend behind and engage the last out slice, and

manual means for moving the slice trough and abutment on the frame whereby the last named abutment member will move all the slices on the slice trough when the manual'means is moved along the frame.

2. A slicing machine comprising means for slicing slices from a substance, a frame deta-chably mounted to a part of the machine, a slice receiving trough extending from slicing position and slidable on the frame, an upstanding pivotal member arranged on the trough to support cut slices, a second upstanding slice abutment rigid with the slice trough and positioned to extend behind the last cut slice, said second named abut- V ment comprising at least one flange extending into the area of the trough, and remotely positioned manual means connected with the trough to slide the trough on the frame, sliding movement of the trough causing corresponding movement of the rigid abutment whereby all the slices on the trough will be moved to a position remote from the slicing means when the manual means is moved from slicing position.

3. A slicing machine comprising means for slicing slices from a substance, a slidable slice receiving trough extending from slicing position, a

pivotally mounted slidable member on the trough to engage the first slice cut and support all subsequently cut slices, a second member rigidly mounted on the trough and positioned to extend behind and engage the last out slice, supporting means for slidably mounting the trough, manually operated means on the trough to slide the trough on the supporting means, said trough when slided on the supporting means causing corresponding movement of the rigid mounted member whereby all slices on the trough will be moved along the trough by the rigid abutment when the trough is moved along the supporting means away from slicing position, and means for locking said manually operated means in a predetermined position.

4. A slicing machine comprising means for slicing slices from a loaf of substance, a feeding trough for feeding substance to the slicing means, and a slice receiving trough extending from slicing position, said slice receiving trough having an upstanding slice retaining abutment thereon positioned to engage the rear surface of cut slices from one end of the loaf, the said abutment being positioned below the surface of the feeding trough, and a second abutment slidable on the slice receiving trough and adapted to engage the front of the out slices from the other end of the leaf.

5. A slicing machine comprising a frame, slicing means mounted on the frame for slicing slices from a substance, a supporting bracket means pivotally mounted on the frame, means for angularly adjusting said supporting bracket means about said pivot, a slice receiving trough slidably mounted on the bracket means for movement to and from the slicing means, and means remote from the slicing means for sliding said trough selectively to slice receiving position.

6. A slicing machine comprising means for slicing slices from a substance, a housing for said slicing means, an opening in the housing for permitting passage of sliced substance, a receiving trough in slice receiving position, a safety gate hingedly covering a portion at least of said opening, means for retracting said receiving trough from slice receiving position, and means operatively associated with the trough for engaging the safety gate to open the gate as the trough is moved to said remote position.

control pin interposed between said bracket and said stop abutment and being adjustably engaged with said bracket whereby the stop abutment may be accurately spaced from the bracket in accordance with the position of said pin.

8. A slicing machine comprising means for severing slices successively from a substance, a slice receiver arranged adjacent said means for receiving successive cut slices and supporting each of the slices on a peripheral edge with .a face of one slice contacting a face of an adjacent slice, said receiver comprising a frame disconnectibly attached to the machine, rods attached to the frame, a slice receiving trough slidable on the frame, a slidable abutment :on the trough engaging an outer face of a slice and movableprogressively by additional slices as they are cut, and a rigid abutment on the trough adjacent the severing means and engaging the face of a slice which faces the said severing means whereby slidable movement of the trough will move the trough on the rods and all slices will be moved away from the knife.

9. A slicing machine comprising means for severing slices successively from a substance, a slice receiver arranged adjacent said means for receiving successive cut slices and supporting each of the slices on a peripheral edge with a face of one slice contacting a face of an adjacent slice, said receiver comprising a frame disconnectibly attached to the machine, rods attached to the frame, a slice receiving trough slidable on the frame, a slidable abutment on the trough engaging an outer face of a slice and movable progressively by additional slices as they are :cut, a rigid abutment on the trough adjacent the severing means and engaging behind a face of a slice which faces the said severing means, and a handle member for sliding the trough manually on the rods.

10. A slicing machine comprising means for severing slices successively from a substance, a slice receiver arranged adjacent said means for receiving successive lcut slices and supporting each of the slices on a peripheral edge with a face of one slice contacting a face of an adjacent slice, said receiver comprising a frame disconnectibly attached to the machine, rods attached to the frame, a slice receiving trough slidable on the frame, a slidable abutment on the trough engaging an outer face of a slice and movable progressively by additional slices as they are cut, a rigid abutment on the trough adjacent the severing means and engaging behind a face of a slice which faces the said severing means, a handle member operatively connected to the trough for sliding the trough manually on the rods, latching means on the trough and frame, and means controlled by the handle to operate the latching means.

11. A slicing machine comprising means for slicing slices fro-m a substance, a receiving trough extending on one side of slicing position of the machine, a frame on which the trough is slidable, an extending longitudinally slidable abutment mounted on the trough to support slices vertically as they are cut from one end of the loaf, a second extending abutment member rigidly mounted on the trough and positioned to extend behind and engage the cut slices from the other end of the loaf, and manual means for moving the trough on the frame to cause the last named abutment member to move all the slices on the trough.

12. A slicing machine comprising a frame, slicing means mounted on the frame for slicing slices from a substance, a supporting bracket pivotally mounted on the frame and movable in a vertical are from a substantially horizontal position whereby particles of the substance may be released from between the bracket and the frame because of such pivotal movement, an adjustable stop carried by the bracket and engageable with the frame to limit the downward pivotal movement of the bracket and support the bracket in substantial horizontal position, a yieldable member cooperating with the bracket and frame to retain the bracket in adjusted position, a slicereceiving trough, and means for slidably mounting the trough on the bracket for movement to and from the slicing means.

ARTHUR H. AHRNDT. 

